a) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to control apparatus and method for an internal combustion engine and, more particularly, relates to ignition timing control apparatus and method for controlling an ignition timing of the internal combustion engine in a combustion mode of a stratified charge combustion during a transfer of a switching of the combustion mode between the stratified charge combustion and a homogeneous charge combustion according to an engine driving condition.
b) Description of the Related Art
A Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. Showa 59-37236 published on Feb. 29, 1984 exemplifies an internal combustion engine in which a fuel combustion mode is switched between a homogenous charge combustion mode in which a homogeneous air-fuel mixture is formed in each cylinder to perform a homogeneous charge combustion and a stratified charge combustion mode in which a rich air-fuel mixture is formed around each ignition plug to perform the stratified charge combustion according to an engine driving condition.
Another Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. Heisei 3-281965 published on Dec. 12, 1991 exemplifies a control apparatus for a two-cycle engine in which ignition timings for the engine in the homogeneous charge combustion and in the stratified charge combustion are set independently and separately from each other.